ELLISVILLE – Facing off against its toughest competition thus far, the Northwest softball team fell in a pair of 7-1 and 13-1 losses to third-ranked Des Moines Area and No. 4 Jones College on Sunday afternoon at Community Bank Park in Ellisville.

With the two losses, Northwest dropped to 4-6 overall and was handed its first losing streak of the season.

Northwest will aim to get back on the winning track against Southwest Tennessee on Wednesday, March 4 at 4/6 p.m. in Arlington, Tenn.


Game 1 – #3 Des Moines Area 7, Northwest 1

Trailing 2-0 in the fourth inning, sophomore Madison Crosby provided Northwest with a spark and helped the Rangers close the gap to a single run, but Des Moines Area would counter with five runs in the final two innings to pull away for the 7-1 win.

Des Moines Area picked up a pair of unearned runs in the opening frame, only to see freshman Kaylei Peterson toss three scoreless innings to keep the Lady Bears from inflicting any further damage.

After Oakley Laughter and Saige Koczka opened the bottom of the fourth with a pair of singles, Crosby's RBI groundout to second base allowed Laughter to score from third and close the gap to 2-1.

Northwest failed to add anything else over the next couple of innings however, as Des Moines Area added two runs in the sixth and three in the seventh to secure the victory.

Northwest was held to just two hits, both coming in the fourth from Laughter and Koczka. The Rangers also committed four errors in the contest.

Peterson struck out three batters against two walks over four complete innings, but was credited with the loss. Koczka pitched the final three innings and surrendered five runs, four of them earned.


Game 2 – #4 Jones College 13, Northwest 1 (5 inn.)

Molly Beth Ferguson's RBI-single in the top half of the first was the only highlight for the Rangers in the nightcap, as No. 4 Jones scored eight runs in the bottom of the first en route to the 13-1 run-rule win.

Three of the Rangers' four hits in the contest came in the first inning, as Laughter and Brittni Beard led off with a pair of singles to set up Ferguson's RBI base hit to right field.

Jones littered the bottom of the first with eight runs on eight hits and scored five of its runs off homers from Lauren Pope and Kayla Collins.

A single run in the second made it a 9-1 advantage for the Lady Bobcats before four additional runs in the third set the tone for the impending run-rule.

Jones finished with 14 hits in the contest and no errors, improving to 10-2 on the season.

Lacey Coats was handed the loss for the Rangers, lasting less than a full inning. Delta Claire Newman pitched the final 3.1 innings and allowed two earned runs with a strikeout.